Epstein Emailed Himself ‘Trump Files’ as Secret Leverage, Reporter Claims

Jeffrey Epstein did not just collect powerful friends; he documented them. Recently released records show that he even emailed himself notes about President Donald Trump. An investigative reporter believes these messages were meant to serve as leverage if his world ever fell apart. During an interview with CNN host Michael Smerconish, reporter and author Barry Levine explained why one particular email from early 2019 stood out. The message, which Epstein wrote to himself months before his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, mentioned a young woman who had worked at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Epstein claimed Trump knew her background and had visited Epstein’s Palm Beach home “many times during that period.” Levine said on air, “I think at the time, with the Miami Herald’s series ‘Perversion of Justice,’ Epstein knew that the feds would be closing in on him. I think he was noting his connection to Donald Trump at that time. I think he might have suspected that he was going to be arrested, which he was, eventually.” Smerconish asked if Epstein was essentially writing for future investigators instead of leaving notes for himself. Levine replied, “That’s what I suspect, Michael, yes.” The email was one of nearly 20,000 pages of documents that the House Oversight Committee released this week after subpoenaing them from Epstein’s estate. This collection has sparked a familiar political struggle, but it has also drawn renewed attention to Epstein’s long and complex ties to Trump. Jeffrey Epstein “knew that the feds would be closing in on him” and wrote emails to himself about his connections to Trump as leverage should he be arrested, suspects investigative reporter Barry Levine. pic.twitter.com/qibQWVCC9h — Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) November 15, 2025 Among the documents are claims from other emails where Epstein suggested Trump had “spent hours” with one of his victims and that Trump was aware of the young women Epstein was bringing around. Epstein also stated that Trump never received massages and did not take part in the abuse, a point that Trump’s defenders have highlighted recently. The White House has dismissed the document release as a partisan attack, arguing that selective details are being used to portray Trump in the worst possible light. Officials have pointed to statements from a key accuser who has said Trump treated her respectfully and never acted inappropriately. What makes the February 2019 email so notable is not just what Epstein wrote, but who he seemed to be writing for. This was not an attempt to impress an ally or sway a journalist. It reads more like a private record, something he wanted to keep as federal interest in his activities rose again. For years, there was speculation that Epstein kept compromising material on high-profile associates. A recent Justice Department memo stated that investigators never found evidence that Epstein used such information to blackmail anyone. Still, the new emails reveal that he clearly paid close attention to which powerful figures crossed his path and when. Whether Epstein ever intended to use the information he logged is a question that died with him. Now, the emails sit in congressional archives and, in redacted form, are available to the public. They provide a closer look at how Epstein tracked his own relationships, including with a future president who once called him a “terrific guy.” They also raise fresh questions about what Epstein thought he might need if the walls finally closed in on him.